Fable 2: The Revival of Skorm
by Cybertramon001
Summary: Many people believe that the old days of heroes were filled with glory hounds and superstition. But the heroes live on, training to save them from monsters and evil. But the superstitions are real. There are monsters in the woods. There are evil things trying to break free. And a force Most Evil is returning.
1. Prologue: Bower Snuffer

Fable 2: Horatio and the Revival of Skorm

Prologue: Bower Snuffer

Bloodstone. Dark. Dangerous. Unpleasant. But filled with some of the best booze and wenches in all of Albion and the perfect place for the hardened criminal to hang out. That be what them travellers say and Grendal 'Bower snuffer' McGraw agrees wholeheartedly with them. Having terrorised old Bowerstone for the last week or so, he felt he needed a bloody good time. With his big black afro, handlebar moustache and tramp beard, Grendal was a face to remember. And with them wanted posters describing his red and dark green highwayman bandit outfit, everyone in town knew who he was. The barman was only too happy to give ol Grendal the best booze in the tavern. Now all he had to do to get the best good times was to find a beautiful wench. But not one caught his eye. They just looked too dingy to him. He fumed in his corner, thinking that if he didn't see a good wench soon, then he'd be bringing ruin to bloodstone too.

"Well 'ello dahling." said a charming lady voice. "You be looking like you be needing me company." Grendal looked up at this here stranger. And smiled. She was a lovely looking girl alright. Tall, with golden locks flowing down her back and lovely blue tattoos over her whole body. And of course she had a real pretty rack just about to burst from her corset.

"Cor. You're a beaut now aren't ya?" Grendal said as he pulls out a chair for her. As she sat down he got a good eyeful of her hooters. "What be ya name sweetie?"

"You be calling me Jiggles, dahling." She said coyly, giving him a wink. "I be 'earing of you, you know. Grendal 'Bower snuffer' McGraw. Dark. Dangerous. Murderer of over a 'undred traders and travellers; stealer of weapons; and a pisser of pot plants." She gasps and places a hand to her ample bosom. "All them crime is enough to make a good girl swoon."

Grendal smirked and leaned towards her. "Good thing ye no good girl aye? Now how about ye be the first girl to have a good time with the Bower snuffer, eh?"

"Oh I thought you be never asking." Jiggles says, taking him by the hand and hurrying upstairs to the beds. Unbeknownst to Grendal, a muscular man in shadow worshipper robes, who had been watching them both with interest, took one last drink, repositioned his mask, and hurried off as if to meet someone.

"Now 'ow about you get yourself ready here, while I go ready the bed?" Jiggles asks teasingly as they close the door to the hallway. And without waiting for a response she walked into the bedroom and closed the door. But Grendal wasn't going to wait damn it. He wanted some action now! He closes on the door, ready to boot it open and rip her clothes to shreds. He raises his boot and slams it into the door... Only for the door to disappear. He stumbles forward, and a knee slams into his gut. Even as the breath leaves him, a hand chops down on his neck, silencing him with a strangled gasp. Then a punch to his side slams him into the wall, and a leg sweep brought him to the ground. Almost passing out he looked up to find Jiggles' hand sparking and her tattoos glowing. _Aw hell_, he thought. _A bloody hero._ And then he was too busy being shocked to do more than pass out.

BANG! Goes the door as a dashing young man charged in, longsword raised up high. With muscles as thick as a woman's waist, windswept blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, he looks the part of every girl's favourite hero. He stabs his sword into the unconscious crook's gut and says "Tis a wonder of miracles that I, Horatio Vuldoom, was able to arrive before this slimy wrongdoer could deflower you my fair maiden." Jiggles rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She mutters, her voice no longer sounding that of a cockney wench, but of an educated young woman. "Save your speech for the citizens, would you? And what took you so long? You were supposed to charge in as soon as the door closed."

"Tis hardly my shortcoming Jiggles." Her hands clenched as he said his nickname for her. "Brick was waylaid by the drunken feminine culture of this tavern." At this the shadow worshipper entered the room, his hood down and mask off. He could almost have been Horatio's Twin if not for his dark mane.

"Hey Tatiana." Brick growled as he closed the door and stepped over Grendal's corpse. (He only growled to hide any similarities of his and Horatio's voice.) "Sorry about the hold up."

"Tell me Brick." Tatiana 'Jiggles' Blades said through clenched teeth as she put her hands on her petite hips. 'How many whores did you have to drag Horatio from this time?" Horatio gave a moan of outrage as Brick answered.

"About four, I would say. Maybe five if you count the transgender." At this Horatio's moan became a confused croak. Tatiana smiled at his discomfort.

"Ahem." Horatio coughed as Tatiana and Brick turned to him. "If you two Bipeds are quite finished we need to get to our positions." Again Tatiana rolled her eyes, but complied with his demand. As she got to the far wall, Brick entered into the main room and opened the door to the tavern.

"Bloody Hell!" Brick shouted down the hallway. "Someone stopped that Bower snuffer guy them travellers spoke of." Everyone rushed towards the room while Brick used the general confusion to slink away.

"Oh thank ya me dahling hero." Tatiana swooned as Horatio grabbed by the waist and planted a big slobbery kiss on her cheek. Ignoring the need to wipe it away and waft the stench of beer, she started the planned tale. "We barely 'ad entered the room when the dirty bastard tried to rip me clothes off. I managed a slight knock to the 'ead, but 'e 'ad me cornered. If I 'adn't screamed, then this 'andsome 'ero would never 'ave arrived to save me life." At this she did final part most reluctantly. She grabbed his face and kissed him full on the mouth, where his tongue slid down her throat.

_For someone who's just good looks he needs help learning how to kiss_, she thought. She dragged herself away before the act caused her to vomit, and she moved through the crowd to where Brick was. Not that anyone cared though. To them she was just a whore, someone to please the men and be thrown away. They were all interested in Horatio now.

"Good people of the multicultural town of Bloodstone." Horatio spoke as he began his speech. "It was within my greatest pleasure to remove this dastardly murderer from our lands, so that you people will have one less monster to make you quake. And this is just the first. For I, Horatio Vuldoom, Scourge to all things evil and the shining star of justice, will promise you all that evil will fear the light of day again." The crowd gave a loud cheer at this, while Horatio lapped it all up with a small smile. As he continued his speech, Brick leaned towards Tatiana and whispered in her ear. "He going to cause us problems again."

Tatiana nodded. Horatio was always going to cause them trouble. On days like this, when she felt like just leaving him to his own devices, she had to remind herself on that fateful day, two weeks ago, when it all started.


	2. Chapter 1: The New Guild

Chapter 1: The New Guild

It began in the Heroes Guild, hidden underground since the uprising. It was where those with the blood of heroes would go to learn their craft and head on out into the dark crevasses of society. The heroes were often children when they were spotted and recruited. Then they spent much of their young lives training in the three main arts of heroes. The arts were the art of strength ("Right. When I come back from the infirmary, try to stick the sword in the **dummy's** gut, not mine."); the art of skill ('Maybe we should hold off on shooting dummies and work on not shooting ourselves in the feet."); and the art of will ("For the last time, WILL YOU STOP RAISING DEAD BUNNIES?"). Many heroes were skilled in one art and generally grouped together to compensate for the skills they didn't have. In the whole guild there were only two members who could use two arts well (and as many people noted, these were considered the best of all the heroes). These two were Tatiana Blades and Brick Boomstick. Tatiana (or Tatty, as Tatiana is too long at times) is highly skilled in both skill and will, able to use all kinds of spells and shoot a man through the eye across the length of Bowerstone Bridge. She can even hold her own against several people at once in melee combat, if need be, so she could theoretically be a very rare Omni-Hero. An Omni-Hero is skilled in all **three **arts. Brick is very skilled in melee, being able to use a hammer or axe as skilfully as a dancer, and one of the few heroes that can use the dragon-like blunderbuss. But despite his rugged skills, Brick seems to believe he isn't doing enough. He keeps pushing himself harder and harder to be the best of his classes. This attitude has always placed him as the top of his classes, often meaning he has surpassed the very people teaching him. Only in classes that Tatty are in does his efforts fall short.

But even though Tatty surpasses Brick in every class they share, they seem to have a kinship. It could be that their accomplishments when coupled with their attitudes, him not thinking it was good enough and her barely trying, have led to other heroes ignoring them. But whatever the reason, they are always seen together. Chatting. Training. Studying in the Guild library or dining together in the Guild hall, where they seem to relax in the memories of their day.

But even though many of the heroes are skilled, they are still learning their trade, and so are not truly heroes. When they first join the guild they are called apprentices. At this stage they are to be shown 'the ropes' of being a hero, and finding an art that suits them. After years of training and learning, the apprentices become known as henchmen. A henchman would join a hero for a short time (usually a week or two. It depends on the hero, the quest and how often the henchman injures the hero.) and see a hero in action. During this time the henchman would often be asked to assist in a matter, serve as a distraction, or if they are lucky enough, take on a quest by themselves in the hero's name. Those who perform well often return to the guild with praise and recommendation from a hero, and are promoted to heroes with days.(In fact, the henchmen who take on a quest by themselves return to the guild to merely say goodbye.) Others who do not so well often would remain as henchmen for years, and often have to wait months to join another hero. But every year, there is a Tournament of Heroes to choose the heroes from the henchmen. They are fought like standard tournaments, with a match system and finalists. But unlike tournaments the individual matches are graded. This means that even if a henchman is beaten in the first round, if they showed good use of the arts they can still pass the tournament. To ensure everyone is tested fairly, the henchmen are placed with someone of similar skill. The tournament is the one day every henchman awaits for.

And that day is the day of our story.

BONG! BONG! BONG! The bell rings echo throughout the guild, announcing the beginning of a new day. Tatiana's eye flutter open, sleep tempting to pull her under but anticipation keeping her afloat. She rises from her bedding, stretching like a cat and pulling in odd directions. Her bed shirt hangs off her pale, petite body like the clothes on a scarecrow, except for around her chest, where the material is taunt against her breast. She weaves the spell that lights the lamps in her room and looks round it with a nervous smile. By her bedside is a worn drawer, one of the first things she ever actually owned. On it is a small lamp, perfect for when one wishes to read a book well into the night, the candle a mere sliver. Beside it are several books, comprising of history books about heroes and Albion as a whole. On the very top was a small battered book titled 'Jack of Blades: A Man or A Monster?'. On the wall by the door hung a weapon stand, where her dual daggers, katana and clockwork rifle all were placed. A chest lay open at the foot of her bed, clothing spilling out like a lolling tongue. On the far wall every book she owned was shelved above her desk, where many a night she studied till her eyes remained closed. Around the wall were trophies from her several, **several** quests.

_Surely they can't deny it now,_ she thought as she scratched a knot out of her hair. _Surely they'll have to promote me._ Her face unconsciously reddened in embarrassment, as she recalled her last attempt to be promoted. She had arrived back to the guild, laden with trophies from the quests she completed, a positively glowing letter of recommendation slyly hidden in her bosom. She went straight to the Guildmaster, expecting to be informed that she is now a heroine. Instead, he looked at the letter with an air of barely suppressed boredom and told her that he had other plans for her. At this Tatty lost her cool, telling him that he was an idiot and he should be begging for her to be a hero. It was her saving grace that he seemed to have not heard her, and so she slinked out before she got herself in trouble. She and Brick had fun mocking the Guildmaster later that day. Shaking herself out of that memory, she went over to her changing screen to get ready for her morning training. As she stripped of her bed shirt, Tatty stopped to appraise herself. Even though she had looked the way she does for a few years, people still call her an exotic beauty. She couldn't really see what people meant. She was very pale, heck she was the palest person in the guild, and very tall. But since skill causes an increase in growth glands this wasn't unusual. Her blond hair and red eyes may have been exotic in a country full of dark hair and blue eyes, but she wasn't the only person with different traits.

_Maybe I'm just exotic for my knockers,_ Tatiana thought dryly. She had a petite body all her life. Slim waist, slender arms, hardly the large curves of other females. She liked that though, since those girls looked like someone took all their body fat, stuffed it into their curves and tied them off. But the only thing that wasn't petite about her was her breasts. They were as large as watermelons (and yes, after having loads of men saying so, Tatty did check to find they were right) and it took ages to get clothing tailored to suit her. Often the men she walked past made it blatantly obvious that they were looking at her chest, even though she usually kept them well covered. The only person who didn't stare at them was Brick. In fact he seemed to do his best not to stare at them, as if they were 'elephants in the room'. He was the only person who respected her out of all the damn people here.

_Stop daydreaming,_ she chided herself. This was the second time already and the roosters were probably still crowing. And on today of all days no less! Sighing, Tatty resumed getting changed. First her undergarments, which were rather sturdy up top. She found out the hard way it is hard to be heroic if your 'juggs' are still bouncing around and slapping you. Then the tight pants, to not get in her way with flowing parts. A bandana to tie back her long hair. And a vest-like shirt to 'give her modesty'. Mind you, the design was made back when heroes had generally been men, and so it was more to show off their rock-hard abs. Not to mention that with her rack, a vest that covers the chest of an average man stops just short of the undersides. She asked the quartermaster to have a new vest to cover her, but he said that unfortunately the size was determined to be perfect and no alterations in amount are to be made. This meant that, like it or not, she was pretty much flaunting her assets for all to see. Perhaps that is why she trains first thing before anything else, while everyone is busy taking baths, having breakfast and doing other things.


	3. Chapter 2: The Written Hero

Chapter 2: The Written Hero

"So, you hear the news?"

"No. What news?"

"Apparently there's been some people disappearing these days. Went into an empty room, lots of quiet howling and then they're gone."

"Whoa"

"Yeah. Heard that they might need new heroes to look for them."

"Pah. They probably choose that bimbo Tatiana, or that 'underachiever' Brick."

"Keep it down! That 'bimbo' is one of the best. And besides, they'd be a hell of a better choice than Horatio."

"You kidding? Daddy would probably keep him here, where he can influence things for him. He's a 'hero' in here but out there he's nothing…"

Sighing, Brick got up from the table he was sitting at, his breakfast untouched. He always had nerves, especially on days like this. Tatty would have teased him, pinched the breakfast he couldn't eat and dare him to catch her before she ate all his food. She always made him feel better. Mind you if she was here, she'd probably have punched the living daylights out of the two henchmen talking for calling her a bimbo. She never really wanted her bust but she accepted them anyway. "I'm stuck with them forever, so no point moaning about them. Besides I'm not a fan of self-mutilation." She didn't seem to notice that many people got a lot more jealous of her after puberty. She had the bust that female skill and will users wanted, and the petite figure that strength users lost. He exited the guild hall and headed to the training grounds. If she kept to her schedule, she'd either be there or taking her morning swim. Brick chuckled to himself. It seemed funny that Tatty would do all of this workout when she would much rather use a rifle or a spell. Many of the Skill and Wills had difficulty wielding a simple blade. He turned the corner and entered the training room, prepared to duck in case Tatty was throwing around a spell. No need to though, for although the dummies had been massacred, Tatiana wasn't there. Grinning at her skill, Brick hurried off to the pools. Originally the spring for this place, after an underground river was found they converted this into a pool for training and recreational use. Sure enough there was Tatiana, halfway through a length of the pool.

"Good morning Tatty." Brick called out in one of the few moments her head was above water level. She stopped and turned towards him, waving when she spotted him.

"Hey Brick. Did you finish your breakfast for once?" She teased. Brick almost always had to be teased by Tatty into finishing breakfast on a nervous day. The only time she didn't have to was when they had a test 'week'. Brick was so hungry his stomach drowned out his nerves.

Brick shook his head. "Maybe another time." Tatty got out of the pool, her breasts pressed firmly to the ground as though she was squeezing water from them. Brick looked away hurryingly as she got up.

"Man, I swear I'll never get used to these." She moaned as she adjusted her swimsuit bottom. Grabbing her towel, she looked up at Brick. "Come on. Lets get to my room so I can change into something less revealing."

"It would probably be less revealing if you wore more. You claim you hate people staring at you yet you're the one walking around in next to nothing."

"It's not my fault. The rules and regulations have guidelines for the maximum and minimum amount of material used for a standard outfit. I'm actually wearing the same amount of fabric as the other girls. It's just mostly on my breasts." The look on her face was almost of anguish.

"Is this what you found out by yourself?" Brick asked with a small teasingly smile on his face.

"Nah. This is what the quartermaster told me. I'd almost believe him if his eyes were looking higher every time I go to complain." They both had a laugh at this. It did seem that the quartermaster did try to have Tatty's clothing be a bit skimpy when he could. As they entered her room Brick tried to find something to rest his eyes on. But he knew this room as well as his own. Everything in it he had already looked at before. "Will you stop that?" Tatty asked in exasperation. Brick turned his head towards her in surprise. She placed her hands on her hips. "Every time I'm in my swimsuit you always look at everything but me. Why?"

Brick gaped at the fact Tatty hadn't got it. "Why? You…you look like you're wearing handkerchiefs on your breasts. And your bottoms are almost riding up your bottom." Tatiana bit her lip. What he said was true. Even now she had to readjust her bottom, knowing that it wouldn't make a difference.

"I know that. But I don't want it to be that you won't even look at me when I go swimming." Tatty mumbled in a small voice. Brick felt terrible about how he acted.

"I'm so sorry Tatty. It's just… just this test. I just know I'm going to fail." Tatty punched in the arm.

"Don't think like that. Not today. We **are going** to do well, we **are going** to become heroes, and we **are going** to kick but so hard evil's ancestors will feel it."

Brick smiled at the image. "Seeing as how they would be dead, just how **do **you plan on us doing that?"

"Hey. I'll find a way. Just you wait." And with this pick-me-up speech concluded, she walked over to her changing screen, barely getting behind it before removing her top. Her bottoms soon joined it hanging over the screen. Trying very hard not to glance in her direction, Brick went over to look at Tatiana's bedside reading material. He picked up the book about the fundamentals of heroes

"Guess I wasn't the only one who stayed up late to study." He noted wryly.

"Are you kidding? Everyone would've been. Gone are the days where you could just be all brawn, no brains. Now you have to prove you can do two plus two." Brick laughed at this. He laughed even more when he saw the battered book on Jack of Blades.

"Looks like someone's got a dirty little secret." He said teasingly. Tatty walked up to him to see what that was about. "I thought that all books about Jack were banned and burned?"

"I found it when I had to help sort out the library." Brick nodded, remembering the day. Tatty had placed some spicy herb she had bought from a trader into the main food pot when they were kids. They had barely gotten out of the kitchen before everyone started running out spewing smoke. The fact that neither of them seemed to have been affected meant they got blamed for it. Or more accurately, Tatty got blamed for it. This wasn't the first time she played a prank. "Anyway, all those books were gathered up before The Uprising. Nobody knows what books are in the library. I knew they'd been banned and burnt, so when I found this one I snuck it out before the librarian found it." She took the book from him in an almost forlorn way. "Come on" She said as she grabbed her red cloak. "We'd better some breakfast before the test."


	4. Chapter 3: The Tournament of Heroes

Chapter 3: The Tournament of Heroes

As the bell rang for lunch the henchmen charged out of the test chamber like a stampede, eager to fill their bellies after spending all morning shredding their brains to find elusive knowledge. It was a challenge to manoeuvre through the throng to the front without getting tripped and trampled on. Force push was used so often that people were pinballed along the hall. The sight of it, it is joked by the teachers, would have caused Jack of Blades, Scythe and Nostro to run for the hills in fear (Due to years of jokes and changing-of-truth, Jack would had said he was not running, but merely moving **evilly** towards whatever village was in that direction).

"Man!" Tatiana shouted as she stretched her weary limbs. "I'd thought that test would never finish. It was **way** too easy." Brick had to agree. But to him it meant he could've added more, perhaps explain his answers better. "I could eat a horse," She continued. "but the poor thing would've been picked clean by the others."

"True, but at least we've cooked a meal for themselves. If we spiked the food today, we'd probably be the only one with a full stomach." Brick mentioned half-jokingly.

"No way. I am **not **doing **anything** to ruin my chances at passing. I want to be somebody, I want people to look at me for something other than my tits." She glowered at the offending items. "Come on. We should at least get **something** into our bellies. Then I think we should go and do some stretching exer...Oof!" Tatiana almost fell as someone barrelled into her, hands groping her breast and holding her butt in a 'maiden catch'. Looking up, she was about to complain when she saw who had caught her.

"Horatio?" She asked in surprise, staring at the chiselled face barely a hand width from her own. The eyes twinkled as he smiled at her.

"Best be very cautious, my wonderful maiden. For if I was not her to catch your voluptuous, delicate form, it could have very well shattered."He looked all the business, but she could feel his hand squeezing her cheeks. "It is customary, I believe, for the fine maiden to present her rescuer with a heartfelt kiss." He lifted her into a standing position, lips closing in on her own. Now no longer in danger of falling on her behind, Tatty intercepted his stomach with her leg. Air and spittle rushed from his lips onto her face. Wiping it, she got out of his way as he collapsed to the tiles.

"That may be true, Horatio, but you're no rescuer, and I'm no maiden." Tatty replied to his statement. Crouching on his hands and knees, trying to get air back into his lungs, Horatio didn't appear to have heard her. Brick chuckled. The last person to have called Tatty 'a maiden' had been found in the morning with his limbs broken and lacking all his teeth. Horatio's saving grace was that this kind of activity was a regular occurrence with him around.

"Ah yes." Horatio finally responded, wheezing slightly still as he spoke. "I suppose you have yet to learn the correct position in such matters. Hopefully one day I will have the fine gratification of coaching you." And with that Horatio marched off, shoulder cape billowing in his wake. Tatty stuck a finger down her throat in her desire to be 'taught'. Little did she know that she would be soon meeting him again.

The trumpets fanfare echoed throughout the cave systems that the guild was located in, scattering the wildlife on the surface. Seating is arranged around a large pit, where other henchmen would watch their fellow men (and women) fight till one yielded or collapsed. A grandstand lies at one end, opposite the tunnel connecting the pit to the guild. On it sit the current Guildmaster, Theodore Vuldoom, feasting on a late lunch with gusto. Next to him sits his son, Horatio, currently lazing about and trying to sweet talk the serving girl. And around the Guildmaster, sit the five heroes who were able to make it to the tournament. Sally Balverine-Beheader, a large woman decked in the furs of the balverines she has slain; The Hollow King, a old hero who is skilled in using greatswords and raised dead spells (and resembles hollow men with his age); Poltergeist Pistolli, a recent hero who sneaks up to criminals and shoots them at point-blank range in the head; Armageddon, a tornado of melee on the battle field with a perchance for collateral damage; and Mrs Armageddon, a shrill, miserable woman who lent a hand in her husband's name (as in 'Arm-a-geddon-out-of-here). They are the judges for this year's tournament, separating the heroes form the henchmen.

"I don't mean to be impulsive, but does Sally seem bigger this year to you?"Brick mutters under his breath to Tatty, as they look at the judge's platform.

"Yeah, she is. But Gannon Skullgarr said that she has the top pie eating record since Marvin Bigbelly died." Tatty replies, recalling the diminutive hero.

"Who?"

"You know. The hero who said I was 'a barrel of energy and woe betide anyone who crosses her'."

"You mean the hero who pinched your bum and you dropkicked off Westcliff Bridge?"

"Yeah. That's why he gave me the recommendation." Tatty started making a light snow spell to combat the heat of the cavern and everyone in it. Everyone was staring above the judge's platform, where the matchmaking board was placed. With over one hundred and fifty henchmen's names on it, many henchmen were asking sharper-eyed classmates to look for them. The matches were usually set up that they worked from the edge of the board to the middle, where Brick and Tatiana usually resided. This was the one test Brick didn't feel nervous about. He always felt better when given the chance to fight.

"You see Horatio's name on there?" He asked Tatiana, squinting at the board. Though he had better sight than skillless heroes, he used blunderbusses. Tatty could see the board better.

"Not yet... Oh wait. Got him. He's been teamed up with Gregg Frederick." Brick snorted. It looked like the Guildmaster chose another hero who cared more for money than justice. He wondered how many heroes will throw the match for Horatio.

The trumpets fanfared again. Like a switch, all conversation stopped. Everyone looked expectantly at the Guildmaster, who stood up from his seat, wiping his hands on his robes. He crossed his hands behind his back, and cleared his throat.

"Welcome to all!" He begins, using will to make his voice fill the room. "To our friends." He intones, looking over to the gypsies setting up their stalls for during, and afterwards. "To those who aspired to be beyond these walls." Looking at the heroes sitting next to him. "And, most importantly, to the heroes of tomorrow." Looking out to all the henchmen in the seating before him. "Many of you have heard from the citizens of Bowerstone that the world is safe, that we are obsolete, that they can handle themselves against evil. That was their message when they destroyed this guild so long ago. Yet, those that remain foresaw our future and rebuilt this guild where it would be hidden from the mistrust of the citizens they protect. The fact that people hold us heroes in solemn reverence shows that we truly **are** needed." Cheers echoed around the cavern, lasting for a few extra seconds before silence. "But we should never forget the hidden message in our fall. The heroes of old became arrogant, greedy and foolish. They abused their importance, their necessity and their freedom. These were part of their downfall, part of why they became so hated. But now, we will show we are worthy by proving our skill in this tournament!" A loud cheer ripped through the cavern, drowning out the trumpets that tried in vain to be heard. As the first henchmen of the day rose to begin their glorious fight, the Guildmaster turned to find that Horatio was snoring away. He sat down, shaking his head at his son's gall to sleep through his speech.

Tatty spotted the Guildmaster's expression. She sighed at Horatio's typical attitude. Horatio looked the part of the hero, talked the part and even knew how to act like one. Waves of maidens would flock to get to meet him, and their brothers would look up at Horatio and say, "There's a hero if I ever saw one". In truth, however, Horatio was a disgrace. He was a coward, a drunk, a pervert and a sexist pig. Tatty found him trying to pick her lock many times before, and no matter how skilled she was he'd always treat her as if she was one of the sweet defenceless maidens from his dreams. Even his abilities were horrible, barely passing each test. The only reason he did so well was because of his father's influence, though a lot of people felt sure that something would change. The Vuldoom family had produced generations of good heroes. Not legend makers but certainly more skilled than most people. At least until Horatio was born. Tatty smirked. At least if she became a heroine she could leave him and his sexist attitude behind. After all, if he left the confines of the Guild, he'd be a laughing stock in a week.

The bell rang twice, signalling that one henchman has emerged victorious. Lucky person. Winning is an automatic promotion. Tatty turned her attention back to the fight, but her mind started wandering again. Avo, she's always doing that. This time it was about that book. The one about Jack of Blades. For some reason the stories felt familiar, yet slightly warped, like a storyteller who knew only half the story. The cavern started swirling in front of her eyes, flames springing from the ground. She was staring down at a tower surrounded by lava, hearing leathery wings flapping. She felt powerful, strong, god-like even. And standing in front of her was the spanner in her plans, a tall muscular hero, waving a sword that reminded her of another, one that felt more natural if it was in her hands, but now lost again. She roared, soaring straight down at his horned helmet, ready to chomp down on him and get back what should have been hers.

_"Tatty. Tatty are you listening to me?"_ Tatty blinked, the tower and hero vanishing. Instead, Brick was in front of her, concern and unease in his eyes.

"Huh?" she said, feeling a little light-headed.

"They've just finished Horatio's fight. He won obviously." Tatty looked at the pit. Armageddon was walking down to the pit, whispers following him like the wake of a wave.

"What's he doing?" She asked, perplexed. Brick rolled his eyes.

"Fighting you. They made a change, so now I'm fighting Sally, and you're fighting him. You should've paid attention. " Tatty blinked. And blinked. And blinked again as her brain processed what she had just heard.

"Oh crap." She finally responded lamely.


	5. Chapter 4: The Mask

Chapter 4: The Mask

The crowd cheered loudly as Armageddon paraded round the pit. You could feel the bloodlust and admiration the crowd felt. He hadn't felt those for years, since when he had competed in The Knothole Glade Arena, or The Crucible when people wanted an arena closer to home. Those were the good old days, before he had been stupid and drunk enough to marry his wife. If only she liked him going of on adventures or liked that he could be independent. Or at the very least if only she wasn't so tough and persistent. One time he actually hired bandits to slow her down, and not only did she find him faster, he never heard from them again. He raised his arms and like a conductor before an orchestra the cheers raised in volume. As he turned to wave to his wife (So she wouldn't nag him during the match) he spotted his young opponent. She was a looker, she was, and in his youth he would've tried to get it on with her. But if what others were saying was true, that would be a very, **very, **_**very**_, bad idea. Plus what would the missus think? Still, she seemed very composed considering how even he didn't know about this fight until this morning. Good on her.

Though Tatty looked composed, inside she was shaking like a leaf. This was not a mere henchman. This wasn't even Brick, who she had sparred against in previous years. This was an actual hero. Granted she had beaten a hero before, but he was unarmed, drunk and short. Here her opponent was very much armed, sober and bigger than her. Armageddon. The only hero to have gone through **three** arena tournaments in a row. She gulped. _Calm down_, she chided herself. _Even if I lose, if I last long enough and put in a good effort, then I can still very likely get promoted. And if I actually __**beat **__Armageddon, then that promotion would be more than guaranteed._ Baring a grim, yet determined face, Tatty stepped into the centre of the pit. Then Armageddon faced her, and her bowels lurched slightly. Up close, he was even more intimidating. When a henchman returns from their experience trip, if they did well they usually hadtheir own personal armour designed. Thanks to recent and ancient metallurgy techniques, no matter how flamboyant the armour was it could still do an excellent job of protecting the wearer. And Armageddon's was rather flamboyant. He wore cleated boots, with a metal spine and ribs on the top of the boots which led straight to the skulls decorating the very tops. They were just below the balverine heads emblazoned on his kneecaps, which had speckled-red teeth, most likely blood. His cuirass had chains hanging round the neckline, dangling over scenes of fire and blood and weapons. His elbow pads had hollow men skulls on them, matching the gauntlets. Those had bones on the tops resembling a hand. And to top it off he wore a helmet, which had on one side the symbol of Avo and the symbol of Skorm on the other, his eye slits where the gods' eye would be in the images. Even though the armour shined with a bronzed hue, you could see blood hidden in the grooves of it. And despite his large mass of muscles the armour fitted him perfectly.

Tatty's armour looked almost regal and plain compared to his barbarian armour. The armour itself was rather form-fitting, with small spikes around the knees and elbows. There were pouches and straps round her waist, to hold dagger for throwing. The most striking part of her appearance is a red cloak and hood she wears over her upper body armour. In stark contrast to Armageddon's murals Tatty's armour was a blank canvas. Instead of trying to be intimidating hers was lithe and form fitting, built more for speed than strength. As customary, both combatants stabbed their swords into the dirt and bowed. His a greatsword, all spikes and balverine head pommels, hers a decorative katana, designed to resemble an ancient artefact known as The Archon Key. Tatty gulped. They stood in silence, tension rising in the crowd.

Then, a lone trumpet bellowed deeply.

And with a loud roar perfected by years before the crowd, Armageddon whirled his sword, bringing it down upon her form.

With a boom the greatsword crashed into the ground, dust swirling towards the edges of the pit. But in Tatiana's place, lay a single crack in the ground from the blow. Loud bangs, twelve in a row, echoed throughout the chamber, followed by a bellow of pain from Armageddon. Grabbing the hilt of his sword and wrenching it free, he turned towards Tatty, who had dodged the blade at the last minute, and used the dust to get further away. Armageddon charged. Tatiana used Slow Time to move up behind him. Their blades clanged in contact.

And the crowd cheered and bayed for blood.

Sword blow after sword blow rained upon her, which only her agility, flexibility and skill saved her from. Using a raise dead spell, she used the distraction to move out of range and fire more bullets at his backside, each bellow meaning a hit scored and her hopes raised. Having lowered the dead, Armageddon charged at her again. She used Slow Time to keep him to a crawl, then gave a few slashes with her blade as she ducked under his sword. She jumped away and threw fireballs and lightning at him as the spell wore off. But Armageddon was tough and strong, Tatiana's blows not having done much damage. He closed in again and rained more blows upon her, stopping her from casting another spell. She feinted to one side, but his blade swung through her path. With a loud cry, Tatty was sent flying against the pit wall. She looked up to see Armageddon closing in again. Her ribs ached, almost broken by being clubbed with the flat side of the sword. As she tried to get back up, her vision blurred. She was standing in the fabled Chamber of Fate. Instead of Armageddon, she was facing another hero, as large as him and wearing Bright plate armour of old. She felt an arrogant rage against this hero. _This pathetic vermin needs a lesson in humility,_ she thought, and so she stood up with her wounds gone.

Armageddon walked steadily to her, ready to stand on her and finish the match. He was definitely giving a recommendation about her. The flexibility of all three arts would be very useful. And few had ever gone so long without him hitting them. Given time she could even beat him. She started to rise up, obviously intent on fighting to the end. He smiled at her determination. Then frowned, as some energy radiated from her. Her blade flickered, first the blade she had, then a majestic sword, with a gold blade, red hilt and the symbol of the guild on the pommel. And her face. Something bone white was growing over her face. A mask of a kind. Soon her face was blanked, adorned only by red eyes. Armageddon frowned deeper, then charged at her with a bellow and his greatsword raised over his head. It clashed against hers, but this time _he stumbled back._ Under his helmet his face was a look of shock and disbelief. _How did she do that?, _he wondered to himself. _In all my years I have never pushed back in a clash._ Adding further to his disbelief, Tatiana then started flying, hovering above him for all to see. Her sword glowed will-blue, as ten more blades appeared out of thin air below her. They rushed him, causing him to block blade after blade. But they had the strength of their original, and so again and again he stumbled. Finally he managed to score blows back, slicing the apparitions in half. He focused his attention on his opponent, to find her rife aimed at him, another will-blue glow around it. She unloaded all twelve rounds into him. But to Armageddon, it felt as though she had unloaded sixty rounds into his chest. He collapsed onto one knee, blood running from his wounds. His sword finally weighed him down as his strength fled. He was unable to do more than watch as Tatiana floated down to finish the fight.

"Perhaps this will teach you humility, hero." She said to him. Only her voice was different too. At least Armageddon thought it was different. She probably didn't speak with three voices at once normally. One was a woman's, probably her own. The others were male, a smooth rogue-like voice, and a deep demonic voice. Then her sword glowed a deep blood red, which she fired, causing him to collapse. The glow left Tatiana, and she stumbled. A full minute of silence occurred before the trumpet blowers remembered to signal the end of the match. Then like a river through a flood gate, the crowd started shouting. Some in cheer, some in outrage and even a few in anger. Never has a battle been like this. Not only had a hero entered the fight, but was beaten in combat. Healers entered the pit to check on Armageddon, while Brick followed to see if Tatiana was alright. She had collapsed on one knee. As he lifted her, a bone-white mask slipped off her face and shattered on the dirt. Her face was pale, eyes speckled with gold and the sweat on her brow alternating between steaming and freezing.

"Tatty!" Brick shook her gently. Her eyes fluttered and she groaned. She looked around with a bemused expression on her face.

"Brick? Wha... What happened?" Tatty asked as she got up. She wobbled about a bit until Brick grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You don't remember? You were brilliant, dodging his greatsword and striking back at every chance you get. Then he smacked you into the wall and when you got back up you just stomped him. Then you floated and attacked him with ghost swords and multiple bullets." Tatty frowned, trying to remember the fight. "You seriously don't remember?"

She shook her head. "The last thing I remember was being slammed into the wall and then I'm seeing a weird dream where I'm in the Chamber of Fate fighting another hero."

"ALRIGHT YOU TWO LOVEBIRDS!" A loud boisterous voice shouts at them, shocking them both. They turned to find themselves nose to nose with a large rounded angry woman. Sally Balverine-Beheader. "I WANT THIS FIGHT OVER AND DONE WITH, YOU GOT ME SHRIMP?"

"Y…Y…Yeah, Miss Beheader." Brick stammered. She was a very large woman, capable of eating up a storm and then replacing all that fat with muscles. Her arms and face carried multiple scars, each a mark of the times where in her haste she charged into crowds of balverines. Her auburn hair was cut into a buzzcut. It was often joked that even her breasts had muscles, and from what Brick could see of them (Sally wore clothing favoured by younger women. On them it looked rather sexy. On Sally it often caused men and women to go off the style.) they indeed did their own six-packs. Pushing gently, but firmly, Tatty and Brick separated. Tatiana walked back steadily, but Brick could see her wobbling slightly side-to-side. He frowned, worried about her. Then he started worrying about himself as Sally's greataxe went SLAM right next to him.

"STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOUR GIRLFRIEND, SQUIRT, AND WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF." Sally shouted, spraying spittle and leftover food into his face. "I WANT A PROPER FIGHT!"

_Yeah, yeah. You'll get one._ Brick thought as he cleaned his face on his sleeve. _You may act scary, but if I throw the match Tatty will be the one I'll be terrified of._


	6. Chapter 5: The Aftermath

Chapter 5: The Aftermath

The world blurred more and more with each step. Voices stretched and snapped back with no pattern. But finally Tatiana made it to her and Brick's seat. When she turned to sit down, the world turned seconds after her in one way, then the other before settling on the pit. Before she could fall, she sat down hard with a thump. The pain made her hiss, but the world stopped blurring and swaying so much. Blinking away tears, she decided to make sure Brick was focussing on the match instead of her before thinking about what had happened. It was a flaw of his. No matter what it was he was doing, no matter how important it was, if she had been injured then he would drop everything to help her and kept an eye on her than himself. When they were ten, she had an arrow sticking out of her arm from range class. The head had sealed the wound, so she stayed for the rest of the class to pick up notes for her spare time. When it was Brick's turn, he missed every single shot. Tatty could see him staring at her from the corner of his eye, concern showing in his irises. From then on she had him get notes while she went to the infirmary, until she got good enough to avoid injuries. But when he went off on his apprenticeship, she had been climbing their favourite tree to watch the sunset, like they had always done. But the branch beneath her foot snapped, as she fell from the top. Normally as a hero, Tatty could not be injured from a fall. But normally her leg wouldn't have gotten caught between a couple of branches. Her leg had shattered against them, and so soon she was back in the infirmary. True to her word to Brick to let him know about anything, she sent a message to him using the special guild seals they made. Then the next day he came through the doorway looking dirty, haggard and crazed. It turned out that he had been in the middle of tracking a kidnapper when he got her message, at which point he had abandoned his hunt and teleported back to her. Tatty nearly exploded, shouting how her leg was just broken and that kidnapper was still out there and if he didn't leave her and get back to finding him, she'd break her other leg on his backside. It was a good thing she did that, as the hero he'd been apprenticing with, Bjord Frosterngand, had been furious that Brick had disappeared. Only the fact that he had returned to the quest so quickly saved him from being sent home early. And do you know what Brick did?

He insulted Bjord. He. Insulted. Him. In. His. Face.

That would have been the end of his career if Bjord hadn't found out that Brick **wanted** to be sent back to make sure Tatiana was ok. He respected what Brick would've given up to for her, and so he signed Brick up with his ex-wife, The Ice Banshee, after Tatty's leg had healed.

Tatty told Brick that what he did was stupid. He had worked himself to the bone to get to where he was today, and he almost threw it all away to make sure she was fine **even when she said she would be ALRIGHT!** Brick responded that she was the only person who had ever cared for him.

Tatiana had blushed and mumbled that he should save sacrificing everything for someone who had nothing to sacrifice themselves.

Blinking away the memory, Tatty turned her attention to the pit. Though minutes seemed to have passed while she recalled his actions in truth only seconds had occurred. They were still stretching and preparing. Sally was wearing hardened leather pants, the kind that ended in steel boots and left her bottom and underwear for all to see. Her shirt was chainmail, except for the centre between her breasts, where it was a plate buckle already stretched taunt by her size. On her arms she wore armoured gauntlets which ended in claws, supposedly from balverines she had slain. On all her items of clothing there was something covered in balverines fur: Above her boots, over her gauntlets and across her back.

Brick's clothing was more strict and business-like. He wore a blue highwayman outfit with white highlights. His pants were a deep blood-red with black belts, matching his all red highwayman mask. His coat was open and billowing, showing off the light-plate cuirass that was his only form of visible armour. While Sally roared at the crowd (The guildmaster had forbidden her from flashing), Brick merely raised his hat and waved it at the crowd before replacing it. Then, as per the rules, Brick placed his hammer headfirst onto the ground. It was designed to resemble the Obsidian and Master weapons of old; a black handle inlaid and circled with rubies and bands of brass and gold. The head was silver, each side resembling the Holy and Unholy Helmets of Skorm and Avo during their holy wars. Again the gold and Obsidian contrasted.

Finally Sally had stopped roaring enough to do the same. Her greataxe was the least original weapon out of all the heroes, designed to be a perfect replica of Scarlet Robe's, a heroine from the days of the second guild. A long leather clad handle, topped off with a bladed head meant to resemble two eagles with the outermost wings stretched to the heavens. The crowd grew quiet, save for those who wondered if, since his best friend Tatiana had beaten Armageddon, perhaps Brick could also beat Sally. That would be an extraordinary day, two heroes beaten by the two best henchmen! Then silence finally filled the cave.

Then, once again and for the last time that day, a lone trumpet bellowed deeply.

And Sally and Brick raised their weapons in a clash of steel.

Laughter and music filled the cavern, the gypsies finally having a chance to show off their culture. The aroma of sweet, succulent food flowed towards the roof. In the pit a dance floor had been set up, where men and women flung each other round and round. The gypsy girls twirled their skirts, the men both gypsy and hench stamped their boots in time with the beat. Gold clinked as it changed hands again and again.

"Well, that didn't go too bad, eh Brick?" Tatiana queried as they walked round the stalls, browsing them for bargains and oddities. They did this every year, with her finding a new memento and him looking for something for his family. They stopped at a clothing stall for a moment. "Hadn't your sister Violet been talking about needing a stylish cloth to keep her hair out of her eyes? This bandana might suit her." She placed the bandana round her hair, then taking a slight pouty expression like the one Brick had described Violet wearing.

Brick chuckled, giving her a thumbs up while handing over the five gold to the stall owner. It certainly had been an interesting day, all things considered. And Tatty had been right. His fight hadn't gone too bad. It began with both of them at an even footing, their weapons clashing but never coming near skin. Clangs rang as loud as the guild bell as they tried to get the other to move. Sally roared again and again, trying to frighten him away. Brick hadn't been amused; having seen countless times that muscle isn't always the best. As the sweat ran down Sally's skin, Brick did a dodge roll, Sally's greataxe slamming uselessly into the dirt. As he rolled back up he swapped his hammer for his blunderbuss, flicking the safety off as he did so. Sally saw him bring his gun round and gave a stunning shout of triumph. She charged at him, axe raised over her head, but Brick stood firm. The bang filled the air, the blast lifted Sally from the ground. She and her greataxe slammed back down to the ground. As she tried to rise, he followed his training. Brick stood on the weapon's handle, disarming her, and pointed his blunderbuss at her head. Sally laid still, shock etched onto her face. Then the trumpets sounded, ending the match.

"I don't think she noticed that my gun was a blunderbuss." Brick said as they worked their way to some of the more eccentric stores. "I mean, why else would she have charged me?"

"Meh." Tatiana replied, shrugging her shoulders. "She's always charging things. I guess if she's silly enough to charge a group of balverines then she's silly enough to charge a blunderbuss toting hero." She laughed, happy about calling them both heroes. There was **no way** they were going to not get promoted.

Brick nodded relief on his face. He'd finally 'graduated'. And Tatty seemed to have gotten over her slight illness. With her hood back and hair flowing down her neck, you'd hardly had known that minutes ago she had been pale and sweaty. He noticed a familiar stall, and pointed it out to Tatty. "Isn't that Bob's stall over there?"

Tatty gave a small squeal. "Maybe he's got my order finished." And so she hurried on over. Running a hand through his hair, Brick followed her. A while back Tatty had sent a secret letter to Bob, asking him to make something special for her. That had been several months ago and they hadn't really heard back from him. They **had**, however, been given a description of Bob's stall, as he often came to the tournament. As he reached the stall he could see that Tatty was jumping up and down, laughing. He hurried on over, curious to see what exactly she had ordered. Tatty hugged him as he came over. "He made it. He made it." She squealed over and over again. Prising himself out of her hug, Brick turned towards Bob.

"So you must be Bob then. I must admit I haven't a clue what she ordered, so what exactly do you do?" He asked politely.

Bob gave him a wrinkly smile, grabbing an oak box from beneath his stall. "Oh I mostly buy and sell oddities, stitch a few items of clothing for people. But in your friend's case I'm also a doll maker."

"A doll maker?" Brick stared at Tatty, who blushed furiously. In all the years he'd known her she'd never shown interest in dolls. With a loud click, Bob opened the case.

"I have to tell you, I've never been asked to do this kind of order." Bob noted as he took out the doll. It was a Jack of Blades doll, replete with a replica of the legendary Sword of Aeons. He turned to Tatty, eyebrows almost lost in his hairline. Blushing even further than before, Tatty asked how much. "Well you see, the materials were a little on the expensive side. And I don't make dolls often any more." He tapped his left index finger against what little teeth he had. "I'd say about four-hundred-and-fifty gold." Without batting an eyelash, Tatty pulled out her money bag and counted out the gold, grabbing the doll with the other hand. As they hurried away she could feel Brick's quizzing eyes on the back of her head. She stopped and turned to face him. Many a collision had begun with a conversation mid-walk.

"What? I felt like having a little doll for once. So what?" She snapped.

"Well it's just… I mean… Jack of Blades?" Brick was almost lost for words. Tatty was about to ask him what was so weird about a Jack of Blades doll, when a familiar shout reached them and something large charged into Brick.

"YOU GOT LUCKY PUNK, YOU HEAR ME?" Sally Beheader shouted, her large finger right under Brick's nose. "IF I HAD KNOWN YOU HAD A BLUNDERBUSS INSTEAD OF A TIDDLY RIFLE, I WOULD'VE FOUGHT BETTER!"

"Yes Sally, but that still doesn't change the fact that you lost." Armageddon laughed, his wife holding onto his left arm like a life line – or a predator with a prize meal. "Wanted to congratulate you both on your victories. Admiral effort and mixture of arts from both of you." He clapped Brick on the shoulder hard enough for his legs to buckle slightly. "Mr Boomstick, you showed courage even in the face of Sally's onslaught, not to mention keeping your hand steady in what I first thought was a surprising tactic." Then he turned to face Tatiana. Mrs Armageddon tightened her grip on his arm with each step. "And Miss Blades. Well done, well done! Never in all my years had I ever faced such a skilled opponent. I didn't even recognise those spells. No wonder Sir Hobbes gives such glowing praise about you." He bowed as low as his wife would let him, Tatty politely curtseying back. Tatty smiled, though it soon wilted in the smouldering glare from his wife. The glare wasn't lost on Armageddon. "Well, they'll be announcing the graduates soon. We should go back to the grandstand now." With this, he steered his wife away from Tatty, whispering in her ear. Sally gave Brick a look of annoyance before following the couple. The bustle of the crowd soon followed as everyone congregated back at the arena.

"I'm really getting the impression that Mrs Armageddon doesn't like me." Tatty noted as she and Brick followed the crowd. "I mean, she gave me a look I'd usually reserve for Horatio."

"Makes sense." Brick replied. "When Armageddon was younger he was never without a beautiful young lady, and from what I hear he still chats them up."

"So, she thinks that I want to steal her husband away from her, even though he's old enough to be my father?"

"Girls younger than you threw themselves at him before."

"Yeah but they were bimbos, interested only in the next good looking guy and churning out loads of kids. I'm gonna be a heroine, not a baby factory."

"People think weird thoughts when they get possessive." Tatty was starting to look very down, so Brick wisely decided to change the subject. "So... Why Jack of Blades?"

Tatty shrugged. "I just... I feel like I know him, like he's an old familiar face. Besides you have to admit he was **very** powerful and famous." They stopped, the crowd blocking their ability to get closer to the promotion board. Using Will, the Guildmaster could project a list on the board, such as this list of those that passed. A blue glow surrounded the board, as words lit up with blue fire. Murmurs spread throughout the cavern, as people tried to spot their names on the board. Quick cheers were heard when someone found their name, marred by groans as other failed to find theirs.

"Can't even see past the crowd." Tatty complained, jumping up and standing on tippy-toes trying to see past the crowd. Shorter people had climbed on others' shoulders to spot their names. "Give me a boost would ya?" She said to Brick, clambering onto his shoulders as he ducked down. He stood up again, careful to keep a grip on Tatty as he rose. Her eyes swept the board once, twice, then a third time as her expression became angrier and angrier.

"I. Can't. Believe. That. F-ing. Asshole!" She shouted through clenched teeth. She got down from Brick's shoulders, stamping the ground once down. Other were climbing down and so Brick could finally see the board himself. Like Tatty he swept his eyes over the board thrice, his face grim and a tic appearing above his left eye.

For everyone's name was on the board. Except for them.


	7. Chapter 6: Unfair

Chapter 6: Unfair

The guildmaster's door slammed against the wall with enough force to close again, though it mattered little since Tatiana was already past it. A grunt from behind her meant that Brick hadn't been fast enough, and a little twinge of guilt echoed inside her. But it was soon drowned out by the roar of her anger against the injustice of it all. She stomped over to The Guildmaster, who looked up from the cluttered mess on his desk. The papers were probably requests were a hero's assistance, ranging from serious to mundane (with the majority being the latter).

"What the hell is with you?" Tatiana shouted angrily at him, slamming her hands down on the desk. "What did we do to make you hate us so much! We're the best damn heroes in the whole guild and yet you keep us here on a leash. Why!" Tatty was starting to breathe heavily, her face crimson with rage. Brick stood beside her, his normally blank face creased with frowns.

The Guildmaster smiled at them, making Tatty look even more fit to burst. "If you're referring to your names not being on the list, I must confess it's for a very good cause. And..." He began, raising his hand to silence Tatty's complaints. "This is a mission you won't probably turn down." He waved his hand, indicating that they should take a seat. Tatty stomped over to the chairs at the wall and brought them over, sitting on the edge of it. With a nod the Guildmaster continued. "Now then, this mission is very vital and one I would only entrust to our greatest students." A small smile flickered on Brick's face at this sentence. "It's a protection mission, nothing too taxing I should hope." Tatty sighed at this. A babysitting mission. "But if you succeed, then I will promote you both at all speed."

"Who are we protecting?" Tatty asked wearily. Anything to get promoted quickly.

"Horatio."

"What?" Tatty exclaimed, slipping off her chair onto the floor. Rubbing her posterior, she quickly got back up. "We're gonna be babysitting your son?"

"Yes, you will be. He's going to be leaving these halls and you two are to protect him."

"Sir, if I may-" Brick began, but The Guildmaster cut him off.

"You may not, Mr Boomstick."

"Couldn't you just keep him here if you're so worried about his safety?" Brick continued. The Guildmaster glared at him.

"Look. My family has had **five **generations of heroes. They may not have been the best of heroes, but they kept the bloodline flowing. My wife's dead, I'm too old for another child, and so Horatio is the only chance for the bloodline to keep going. The only way he can do that is to impress a lady enough for her to marry and have lots of children. Given his skill how likely is that to happen?" Tatty smouldered. The Guildmaster had a point. Horatio looked all business but in reality he couldn't be a hero to save his skin. He chased everything in a skirt; he couldn't shoot further than point-blank range; he lost regularly in sword work to the training dummies; and couldn't even create a fireball. Not even the beggars would take him seriously, much less the noble folk.

"Ok. So he won't get a fine girl. But surely someone would have a child with him?" Tatty asked, grasping at straws.

"Pfft." The guildmaster snorted. "Nobody would want anything to do with that fool. And I'm afraid that you can't just talk your way out of this Ms Blades." Tatty hung her head, saddened by this new injustice. "Now then, to put your job in simple terms, make Horatio look good. Stop the crooks, kill the monsters, whatever. But it has to look as if Horatio had dealt with them. And you can't let anyone see you two doing his job for him. Brick, you're to disguise yourself as Horatio for any duels he gets involved in."

"Or what?" Brick asked.

"Sorry?"

"He said 'or what?'" Tatty said nastily. "What would happen if we refuse?"

"You will both remain Henchmen. If you're found out, you will also remain henchmen. If Horatio is badly wounded or **killed**, you will both be locked away." Tatty slumped in her seat, jaw hanging wide open while Brick spluttered. "You'll all be starting tomorrow. Go and pack up your items." The Guildmaster said with a dismissal. Realising that nothing they could say could ever matter, they left the Guildmaster, shocked by the injustices. It was only when they reached their rooms that they finally spoke.

"How! Dare! He!" Tatty spoke through clenched teeth as tears went down her cheeks. "After everything we've done, after everything we've been through, our reward is be leashed to **Horatio?**" With a scream of anger she punched the wall. She then grunted as she tried to extract her fist from the wall.

"Maybe this is a test." Brick suggested half-heartedly. "Maybe we're just being tested." But even he didn't truly believe that. He clenched his fists and an audible crack echoed through the room as his bones grinded together. They had proven, time and again, that they were the best in the guild. They had passed every class with flying colours, accomplished every task set before them, even gain glowing praises from true heroes. And now they actually had beaten two heroes in combat, before the entire guild. Yet their prize was to be shackled with a man so incompetent the Guildmaster was ashamed to call him family.

_This was not how I wanted to prove myself._ Brick thought as his hands ached. A wrenching sound from the wall bought him back to reality, as Tatiana freed her hand from the wall. Her eyes were glowing, a common sign for her anger. Her left eye was the standard blue of will, but her right eye glowed with red energy. With the arena over, it would have been a perfect time for Brick to ask what happened in her fight. But he could hardly do that after the powder keg dropped on them. The glow left her eyes and she slumped where she stood.

"We'd better get packed." She said thickly as she stumbled over to her guild pouch. Brick left for his room, if only so that he wouldn't see Tatty looking so defeated. She was thankful for that. She picked up her pouch and searched inside for any 'surprises' inside. The pouch was a magical marvel, and an important item in a hero's or henchman's apparel. Even though it was small enough to fit around one's waist, inside it was large enough to fit everything in the world and beyond. Not even the first mages who created the art of 'Hammerspace' (so called due having originally been for keeping large hammers in) managed to fill the pouch to the brim. Certain that nothing had been growing in her pouch since she last left the guild, Tatty started sweeping all her possessions in. Her books piled in without a rustle, soon followed by bedding, weapons, equipment, potions and her entire wardrobe. Afterwards she piled in her tables and bathroom equipment. Anything she could claim ownership of was placed in her bag, as while she was gone her room would be used by another. She bent down to peer under her bed for anything else and spotted a glint of some kind near the back. Laying on her stomach, she crawled underneath, the metal of her armour clanking and shrieking slightly as she moved. As she reached out to grab the glint, her posterior was groped in an excruciating hold. She cried out, first in shock by the act, then in pain as she banged her head against the bad frame. Lifting the bed slightly, she crawled back out sharpish, turning to glower at her assailant. Her eyes glowed again as she appraised him.

"Oh for f-'s sake." She muttered.

"Evening tide my fair maiden." Horatio smiled as her stared her up and down. Tatty, in whose personal opinion Horatio had done it enough to remember her shape, ignored the act. "Father informed me to meet you in your humble abode. I must say you certainly know how to greet someone, waving your finely sculpted assets around like you were."

"Shut up Horatio." Tatty ordered him, her cheeks burning from her previous compromising position. " I was trying to get something out from underneath my bed, but now** you're** here, help me lift the bed up. Unless you don't think you're strong enough."

"Nonsense." Horatio replied, his face burning an even brighter red than Tatty. So saying this he walked over to one end of the bed, grabbed the corner and lifted it. Tatty rushed forward and grabbed the other end, their combined strength lifting the bed onto its side. But while Tatty lifted her end without much straining or grunting, Horatio was sweating and straining; his breath coming out with heaves; standing with hands on his knees.

_I can't believe my life._ Tatty thought to herself as she tried not to let her disdain show. _Forced to be henchwoman to this pathetic waste of a man. This is not how my life was suppose to turn out._ Turning away from the wreck in front of her, she crouched down to look at the clutter that had migrated under her bed. There wasn't really much. Mostly it was dust and broken buttons (casualties of Tatty's cleavage). With mild disgust she picked out a few missing pairs of socks and a lacy bra that she wore once for a dare. Shaking off as much dust as she could, these items joined the rest of her possessions in her pouch. Looking carefully, she finally spotted the glint that had her crawling under the bed in the first place. Using a small vortex spell to clear away the dust, the glint became a necklace. Tatty gasped slightly as she realised what it was. Years ago Brick had made her a simple necklace, adorned with their imaginary coat of arms from their childhood. She wore it always, until one day when she couldn't find it. Though she had searched for hours, she had never found it. Carefully, she placed it round her neck, grateful that she found it again. Her door opened, narrowly missing Horatio's head as Brick re-entered the room.

"Huh." He said as he spotted Horatio still heaving deep breaths. "The guildmaster said that Horatio was looking for us." He turned to Tatty, eyebrows raised in a quizzical look. "How long has been gasping for?"

"He's still gasping? By Avo, all he did was lift one side of the bed." Tatty moaned in exasperation. "It's been about five minutes, I guess."

"Five minutes? Wow." Brick said in amazement. He tried to turn away, but his eyes were still locked onto the wreck before him. "It's like watching a caravan train-crash." He stated numbly. "So... Uh...The Guildmaster said that we should get going soon. He going to be showing the new apprentices their quarters before nightfall."

"Good, good." Horatio spoke up, having finally stopped wheezing. "Yes. Father is quite right. The sooner we leave these confining halls the sooner I can rise to the stars." With this he mercifully left the room, crashing into the partially-opened door on his way out. Tatiana's spirit slumped further with each second in his company. Brick shook his head, cheeks glowering as he left the room too. Casting one more gaze around the room and satisfied that she had left nothing behind, Tatty exited the one place she had called home for her whole life. It was with a heavy heart that she stifled her sobs as her life became intertwined with a fool.


	8. Chapter 7: The Hardships of a Woman

Chapter 7: The Hardships of a Well-Endowed Woman

Birdsong flittered through the air as Tatiana woke. The sunlight streaming through the trees blinded her as she rose from her bedding. Moving slowly, her body aching slightly from the rocks under her bedding, Tatty started to rub the dust from her eyes as she cursed the new day. Brick lay next to her, murmuring slightly in his sleep and with his head under the covers. From the little she could hear, he was dreaming about fighting bandits, and appeared to be calling them every name under the sun. The snoring to her other side though, confirmed that Horatio had moved his bedding next to her, **again**. She sighed in disgust as she worked the kinks from her muscles, both eager to start the day and unenthusiastic about her chores. She stumbled about, collecting wood from the trees for the morning fire before placing it all in last night's pit. With the use of lightning, the branches were soon blazing away happily. That finished, she started searching her pouch for their breakfast, unconsciously merely bending over as the morning knots in her back played up. Yet despite using Will to search, all she found were a few bits and bobs of meat and fruit. She sighed again, annoyed that their food supplies were low.

_Ah well, _she thought as she got out her frying pan. _At least we'll be reaching the gypsy camp soon._ Once there they should be able to stock up on supplies, information... and get rid of Horatio's leering attention. With their meagre breakfast sizzling away in the heat, Tatty started cursing her life as her thought ran rampart.

They had left the guild merely two weeks before, and when word reached them about Grendal Horatio soon had them trekking across Albion towards Westcliff. Though the path is often treacherous due to Balverines and Bandits, Westcliff is the only way to get Bloodstone. Having managed to arrive there (With half the passengers in various states of pain due to being far too close to Tatty) they then proceeded to slay Grendal, earning them the gratitude of the town folks for removing another competitor. His ego fuel by the gratitude, it took a lot of persuasion to stop him from arresting all the criminals in town. Now They were journeying back to Bowerstone, Ready to claim the reward and renown for stopping Grendal's slaughtering.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the cooking, not that it needed much attending. Her meals were generally of the simple variety, to save on time and energy. Satisfied that breakfast was finished, Tatty proceeded with what was in her opinion the most perilous part of the morning ritual. She checked on Horatio and Brick, making sure they were both still sleeping before gathering her towel and sneaking off. Soon she had reached her destination, a nearby lake they had found. One of the hardships of being the only female of the group was when they had to bathe outside, since she had to make sure her privacy was respected at all times. Checking around her and certain that she really was alone, she quickly stripped off, running into the lake before anything could peep on her. Instantly she felt more awake than ever, water streaming off her face as she dived and surfaced. As it was a lake she couldn't use soap to wash herself, lest she contaminate the water, but she did her best to remove all the dirt and grime from her skin. She was always grateful for moments like this, where she didn't always have to watch her back against bandits and monsters and **Horatio**. Tatty floated on her back and closed her eyes as she let herself be embraced by the lake's cool morning touch.

"Why, tis a miracle. Two magnificent moons!" Tatty yelped as she splashed about, ducking until only her head was above water as she covered her bosom with her arms. She glared at Horatio, and then quickly turned away as she saw his state of undress. "Yes, I know. Such a magnificent sword needs an equally magnificent sheath."

"Horatio, I plan on being far more than some hero's Avodamn sheath." She snapped, blushing as she remembered her sighting of his 'sword' just before. Thankfully everything from the waist down was distorted by the water, but she still couldn't really look at him. This was the first time she had ever seen a boy without a shred of clothing. The splashes grew louder as he came closer and closer. "In case you haven't noticed, Horatio, I'm trying to take a bath here." She said waspishly.

"I noticed, my dear Jiggles." Horatio said, calling her his 'pet name' for her. "That is why I thought you could use some meticulous company of the most handsome kind."

"I rather had Grendal's corpse as company."

"But his corpse couldn't be something more, something closer." His hands rested on her shoulders, his chest against her back. "And besides, how could a corpse pleasure you?" As his private pressed against her leg, Tatty's anger snapped. She twisted out of his grip, reached her hand below and crushed Horatio's manhood in her hand. She put all her anger and frustration of her life, of all the snide remarks, the staring, the groping, attempted panty raids, and sexist actions into her grip. He squealed in a voice higher than even hers, his hands trying to force hers away. But she had an iron grip, and pulled his down until his face was level with hers.

"Now you listen here Horatio." Tatty said venomously through clenched teeth. "I am not here on my own free will, or because I enjoy your company, your snide sexist comments, your fake-hero moments and **definitely** not to be your baby maker. I am only here because your father had ordered me and Brick to, and threatened us with jail or being stuck as henchpeople should we fail. And the only reason he ordered us to is because. You. Suck. At being a hero." She emphasised her statement by wrench his private area, causing him to squeal again and crouch lower and lower. "And you can count yourself lucky that your father wants you to be a hero solely to give him descendents, or else I would be slicing your bits off right now. But if you **ever** do anything more than stare at me, I **will** kick you in the sweet spot. Got that?" Horatio didn't respond, so Tatty gave another tug. "I said got that?"

"Yes, yes. I get it. I get it." Horatio squeaked, spluttering as water entered his mouth. Tatiana released her grip on him, washing her hand in the water as Horatio massaged his nether regions. Tatty climbed out, grabbing her towel to cover her modesty as she ran to the cover of the trees, picking up her armour along the way. Hurriedly, she dried herself off as best as she could, then garbed herself, before Horatio could get out of the lake. Not that it would be happening any time soon, as he stood still in the water, still massaging himself. Smirking at his discomfort, she walked back to their campsite where Brick would be waiting with her breakfast. She entered the clearing where Brick sat still in his bedding, where she sat down and devoured her breakfast.

"There you are." Brick said as she sat down. "You should be careful. Horatio was gone when I woke up just before. Heard some sort of shrill cry from a creature before. Perhaps you came across it when you were moving about?"

"Yeah I did." Tatty replied between bites of her meat. "It was Horatio. Apparently he intended to violate me while I was bathing. The cry was from when I mangled his manhood."

"In Avo's name! How are we suppose to get rid of him if he's infertile?"

"Relax, he'll still be able to have children. I think. Regardless he won't try anything funny again. But he may have difficulty walking, or be speaking in a higher pitch than normal." Brick shuddered as he thought of all the damage Tatty could've done to Horatio and their futures. It was way too close. Rustling echoed around the clearing as the man himself stumbled into the clearing. He still seemed to be injured, as he was stooped and had difficulty walking straight. Horatio stopped in front of both of them, face red and sweaty with the exertion. They waited to see what their 'fearless' leader had to say.

"Start packing up immediately." He growled. Or tried to, as his voice was at least an octave higher than normal. "We leave for Bowerstone by midday." He gave a sweep of his cloak as he turned, but again the effect was ruined by his stoop and following stumble. Horatio squeaked with every step. Ignoring their 'heroic' leader, Tatty and Brick started gathering up their possessions that they had left round camp last night.


End file.
